BRESSELS - As US sets in motion phased withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan, NATO has said that elements in Pakistan are supporting insurgency in the war-torn country.
The US-led military grouping also said the security situation in both Pakistan and Afghanistan was 'far from satisfactory' even though Osama bin Laden and part of top Al-Qaeda leadership had been brought to justice.

"We are certainly not anywhere near the point where the situation in Pakistan is satisfactory from a global or regional security perspective or that the situation in Afghanistan is satisfactory from a global or regional perspective, to have been completely free from the threat of Al-Qaeda," a top American official said. Stating that insurgency in Afghanistan was being supported by elements in Pakistan, NATO has said that it could not address this concern without dealing with related issuesinside Pakistan.

Top NATO officials said that two were linked and thus it was engaging with both these countries and their neighbors', including India, to help free the region from the threat ofterror and Al-Qaeda.

"While we are trying to deal with insurgency in Afghanistan, we are well aware that it is being supported by elements in Pakistan and our continuing engagement with both the countries is designed to deal with insurgency and the Al-Qaeda threat to US and NATO countries," said a senior NATO official. (PTI)